Image provided by Sony.
Citing data from The NPD Group, Sony has announced it is the number one mirrorless camera brand and number one mirrorless lens brand in North America for 2021.
Before diving into the numbers, it’s worth contextualizing where this data comes from and who it’s being collected by. The NPD Group, according to its ‘About’ webpage, is a United States-based data aggregator that collects collects point-of-sale data from more than 600,000 retail locations, plus online and mobile sales, to help companies ‘measure, predict and improve performance across all channels.’ While the camera sales information isn’t publicly, Sony has purchased access to this dataset and used it to share its imaging divisions’ accolades achieved throughout 2021.
To that end, Sony is able to confirm that it is the number one mirrorless camera brand and full-frame mirrorless camera brand in both Canada and the U.S. in 2021, based on the value of units sold. Sony attributes this to ‘The success of [its] lineup of full-frame cameras, including the Alpha 7S, Alpha 7R and Alpha 9 series,’ as well as ‘the Alpha 7 III, which continued to be the No. 1 selling full-frame interchangeable lens camera line for the 4th year in a row,’ according to The NPD Group’s data, based on units sold.
Sony’s a7 IV full-frame mirrorless camera.
Sony’s new a7 IV also set a record for the week of December 19–25, 2021, selling more units in a single week than any mirrorless interchangeable lens camera in the past four years, based on The NPD Group’s data. Sony also says 2021 ‘marks the 8th consecutive year that Sony [has held] the #1 share in [the] full-frame mirrorless’ market, but that claim comes from Sony’s own internal research, according to the press release’s footnotes.
These accolades are undoubtedly impressive, but it would be interesting to see just how Canon is catching Sony in the full-frame mirrorless market, especially on the heels of the release of the EOS R5 and R6, which have proven to be popular models. Nikon’s Z9 is also proving to be an attention-grabber, but based on Nikon’s own numbers, as well as other data aggregators, it’s unlikely Nikon will be putting up a challenge to either Canon or Sony in the foreseeable future.
You can read the press release in its entirety below.
Press release:
{pressrelease}
Sony Electronics’ is the No. 1 Mirrorless Camera Brand and No. 1 Mirrorless Lens Brand for 2021 in North America
2021 Marks the 8th Consecutive Year that Sony Holds the #1 Share in Full-Frame Mirrorless
SAN DIEGO, CA – February 16, 2022 – Sony Electronics Inc. – a worldwide leader in digital imaging– continues to lead the industry in bringing mirrorless technology to the world. Following a year of innovative product introductions such as the Alpha 1, Sony Electronics announced today that it was the number one mirrorless camera brand and full-frame mirrorless camera brand in 2021. This past year also marks the 8th consecutive year Sony has held the #1 position in full-frame mirrorless camerasi. And lastly, Sony has announced it was the number one mirrorless lens brand in 2021 as well.
The success of the lineup of full-frame cameras, including the Alpha 7S, Alpha 7R and Alpha 9 series, has been paramount to Sony’s strong sales numbers. These have been complemented by the popularity of the Alpha 7 III, which continued to be the No. 1 selling full-frame interchangeable lens camera line for the 4th year in a row. For lenses, Sony’s full lineup of 65 different E-mount models highlighted by their flagship G Master™ series continues to drive industry growth.
Additionally, newer innovations such as the new Alpha 7 IV have started to set early sales records. For the week of December 19-25, 2021, the Alpha 7 IV had the highest single-week sales of any mirrorless interchangeable lens camera line in the last four years.
“We are always listening to our customers’ feedback, advancing our innovation and creating the best possible tools for all types of content creators,” said Yang Cheng, Vice President, Imaging Solutions, Sony Electronics Inc. “Finding new ways to empower our community is our top priority and we are honored that so many continue to choose Sony to tell their stories and bring their creative visions to life.”
A variety of additional stories and exciting new content shot with Sony products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, Sony’s community site to educate, inspire and showcase work from fans and customers of the Sony Alpha brand.
Notes:
1. Source: Sony Internal Research, U.S., Detachable Lens Camera, Sensor Size: Full Frame, Mirrorless Detachable Lens, Annual 2014, Annual 2015, Annual 2016, Annual 2017, Annual 2018, Annual 2019, Annual 2020, Annual 2021.
2. Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service, U.S., Detachable Lens Camera, Mirrorless Detachable Lens, Based on Dollars, Annual 2021. Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service, Canada, Detachable Lens Camera, Mirrorless Detachable Lens, Based on Dollars, Annual 2021.
3. Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service, U.S., Detachable Lens Camera, Sensor Size: Full Frame, Mirrorless Detachable Lens, Annual 2021. Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service, Canada, Detachable Lens Camera, Sensor Size: Full Frame, Mirrorless Detachable Lens, Based on Dollars, Annual 2021.
4. Source: Sony Internal Research, U.S., Lenses Filters Adapters and Caps, Imaging Accessory Type: Prime Lens and Zoom Lens, Lens Mount Type: Canon EF-M, Canon RF, Sony E-Mount, Fujifilm G, Fujifilm X, Hasselblad, Leica, L-Mount, Nikon 1, Nikon Z, Leica M, Jan 2021-Dec. 2021.
5. Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service, U.S., Detachable Lens Camera, Sensor Size: Full Frame, Camera Family, Based on Units, Annual 2021, Annual 2020, Annual 2019, Annual 2018.
6. Source: The NPD Group/Weekly Retail Tracking Service, U.S., Detachable Lens Camera, Digital Lens Type: Mirrorless Detachable Lens, Camera Family, Based on Dollars, Jan 2018-Dec 2021.
{/pressrelease}